1.There's a limit to the number of dogs we can walk at a time.

Exactly how many depends on laws in the local area. Walking one dog can be blissful, but walking more than that can be pretty chaotic.

2.Our rotas are erratic and complicated.

20th Television

The hours we work depend entirely on our clients' schedules and most dog owners have a particular preference for where their dog is walked. This means we're frequently travelling to get to our next appointment.

3.We’re fiercely protective of the dogs we walk.

4.But yes, sometimes we can lose a dog.

Usually because they're chasing a squirrel or have found an interesting flower. In most cases they'll just wander back to us like it's no big deal, but occasionally they'll just decide they've had enough and will make their own way home.

5.The pay honestly isn't that great.

Most dog walkers earn minimum wage working for a dog walking company. Independent walkers can earn more but the cost of insurance and equipment means it's not a very lucrative career, so most walkers do it to subsidise their existing income.

6.Dog walking can be extremely stressful.

7.You don't need any formal qualifications.

But the more experience you have with dogs the better. If you sign up with an agency you'll usually have to do a few accompanied walks before they'll let you out on your own. Going solo straight off the bat can be difficult because most independent dog-walkers rely on word-of-mouth recommendations for customers.

8.We get major guilt if something happens to a dog on our watch.

Dogs are curious creatures, so they'll always find a way to eat something they shouldn't or play around in a thorny bush. Bringing them home with a dodgy tummy or scratched-up nose is horrible and we feel bad about it for ages.

9.We judge lazy dog owners.

Getty Images

There are lots of reasons why someone might need to employ a dog walker – they might be ill or elderly, for example – but if you straight-up can’t be bothered to do it yourself then you probably shouldn’t have a dog in the first place.

10.Curious children can be a real pain.

11.Everyone has a dog they secretly dread walking.

Some dogs are particularly aggressive while others are flat-out lazy and need constant coaxing. Others might have digestive issues, which means being saddled up with all kinds of mess in poop bags and no one wants that.

12.Sometimes we have to raise our voices and it sucks.

13.It’s a surprisingly tiring job.

There’s more to dog walking than strolling gently around a park. Little dogs literally run circles around you so you’re constantly battling with tangled leashes, while bigger dogs will rip your arm out of its socket pulling on their leads.

14.We don’t always scoop the poop.

Highwaystarz-photography / Getty Images

Solid stuff always gets picked up but if a dog has dumped a load of runny splat on to the ground there’s not much you can do about it. Sorry.

18.Dog walkers often form cliques.

19.We know when a dog is sad.

The more often we walk a dog the better we get to know its personality and temperament, and if that changes it usually means something's not right at home. This can be down to something as straightforward as a change in the owner's schedule, or the arrival of a new pet or baby, and we'll mention any behaviour differences we've noticed.